Search form

You are here

Caste off: The plight of Catholic Dalits in India

Catholic Dalits (untouchables) in India are divided over how to improve their lot.

Franklin Caesar Thomas and R. L. Francis both attend Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi. Though the two lay activists with similar backgrounds may be polite on Sundays, they don’t like each other.

A house divided: One Dalit Christian pastor’s family has diverging views on “reservations”

The Rev. John Yesunatha Das, a Pentecostal Pastor, calls himself "buffalo color"—black. Though his wife is Brahmin, their daughter Feba inherited his dark skin, a visible sign that he's a Dalit, or untouchable.

As a product of a mixed-caste marriage, Feba doesn't have a caste, but when the second-year honors history major started university, most the girls didn't speak to her because of the color of her skin.

A house divided: One Dalit Christian pastor’s family has diverging views on “reservations”

The Rev. John Yesunatha Das, a Pentecostal Pastor, calls himself "buffalo color"—black. Though his wife is Brahmin, their daughter Feba inherited his dark skin, a visible sign that he's a Dalit, or untouchable.

As a product of a mixed-caste marriage, Feba doesn't have a caste, but when the second-year honors history major started university, most the girls didn't speak to her because of the color of her skin.

Brokenness is in the Body of Christ

The church needs to open its doors to the broken bodies of Christ.

Of all the body parts I didn’t expect my busted knee to affect, it was my eyes. But I’m here to tell you that the first thing that changes when you’re hobbling around is what you see. Specifically, what I see are obstacles: stairs, curbs, uneven pavement, short drops—all of which, if not negotiated properly, result in exquisite little bursts of pain.